What is it with brands trying to manufacture cool these days? You couldn't exactly do it in 5th grade, why do you think you can do it now?

Recently, Pizza Hut has tried it with sort-of changing their name to "The Hut", Radioshack did the same move by sort-of rebranding to "The Shack" (I say sort-of because officially both companies denied a full name change), and Microsoft's leaked retail concept is heavily Apple store inspired.

What do all of these examples have in common? They are trying to manufacture cool. After all, when did you ever think of these brands as cool? Pizza Hut dining experience cool? Please.

We've been seeing that most of the feedback from these examples has been negative. It's easy to say they are mistakes, because its clear that the brand is trying too hard. The advertising spin and copycat models that try to cover up real problems are so transparent it hurts. Relax. You don't have to be a cutting edge company to be cool. Look at office supply company W.B. Mason. How can you do it?

1. Have Genuine Passion

No one likes a company that does something half-assed. Be passionate about what you do, even if its selling paper-clips, and do it fanatically well. Chances are, your community is just as passionate as you are.

2. Know Your Brand

Passion usually doesn't show up in companies that don't have a solid knowledge of who they are, what they do, and how they fit in to the marketplace. Pizza Hut and Radioshack both come to mind. Know exactly who you are, what you do, and own your spot with meaningful value.

3. Have Fun

I always love brands that poke a little fun at themselves, and aren't afraid to lighten up. Being cool is being relaxed and not trying too hard.

In short: Be genuine, have passion, know your brand, and don't be afraid to have fun.

PS. Have you seen the very cool offer from Metropolis to help keep your brand coolness in check? Click here.

Labels: big brands, brand credibility, brand identity, branding stretegies

Website design is an art. Website development is technology. Often the two don't connect on a site. Great websites combine layout, imagery, and type with technology to deliver clear, concise and compelling messaging.

Stop reading for 4 seconds. Take a look a your (or any website). Put it to a test.

The 4 Second, 4 W Test:

1. Who are you? Is the logo or company name legible and prominently placed?

2. What do you do? What’s your message/tag line? Short and to the point — quicker than even an elevator pitch. Avoid marketing jargon and boil your unique value proposition down to a few engaging words.

3. Where. Hello SEO! Let search engines know where you are by listing your industry or target audience specific key words. Hint: This will also help convert viewers to buyers.

4. When should I do anything with the info I just learned? Umm, today please! Add a prominent call to action. Get started now. Contact us today. Have a rep contact me now. (Add your phone # and an email address here too!)

Time's up! Did the site pass the 4 W's, or after 4 seconds were you left wondering who, what where and when? But wait, there’s more! Did you have to wait for a huge or ugly flash animation to load, or even worse, an annoying talking website actor barking about quality, comfort and price?

Actually, your site might not be that bad after all. Website design and development were divorced before before starting the Rocky Creek ATV Trail site.

So, what sites have you seen that don't pass the 4 W test (reply via comment box below)? I could list 10 in 10 minutes. Don’t get me started.

PS. Give your site a second opinion. A Metropolis Creative designer will put your website to the 4 W Test and reply with results to see if you make the grade. Send an email with "4 W Test" in the subject line to: manager@metropoliscreative.com.

Labels: brand identity, brand process, logo design, metropolis creative, SEO, Web design, web development, website usability

If you have an online business and a corresponding website, you’ve likely had to address user engagement at some point, and if you haven’t, it is time to start. While getting traffic to your site is crucial, if users don’t stick around once they arrive, they are unlikely to convert into customers or sales, so make them stay.

Here are four ways to maximize the time users spend on your site. Address these factors and you are likely to see an increase in user engagement and conversions!

1. Make your site welcoming and easy-to-use

With the number of distractions, not to mention websites, vying for users’ attention, it is important to make sure your site is welcoming and easy-to-use.

Many of us have arrived at a website and noticed it makes us feel calm and comfortable. The website is inviting in some way and makes us want to stick around and explore. Try to think of a website design that makes you feel this way and take note of the qualities that stand out on your next visit.
This ‘sticky’ quality to some websites is a big part of ease-of-use, but there are more tangible aspects of your website that contribute to a carefree user experience. Things like a speedy site load time, uncluttered and logical navigation, and reader-friendly formatting of your website copy that includes headings to break up important points in your text and bolded keywords to direct users attention will make users feel at home on your site and encourage them to spend time looking around at what you have to offer.

2. Give users clear calls to action

If you want people to stick around, tell them what to do. When a user visits your site, they need more than a quick load time and welcoming interface design. They need direction.

Use clear and prominent calls to action to tell users what to do next, whether that is to read more about your company, check out your blog, try your product, or fill out a form. Be sure your calls to action are strategically placed on your site in areas where the eye tends to gravitate. Use call to action buttons when it makes sense, and design them to grab attention without making them garish. Finally, avoid overwhelming your user with conflicting calls to action. It is okay to repeat a call to action on an individual web page and at times it makes sense to give your visitors an option, but if you give them too many, you’re taking a risk that they glaze over and move on.

3. Educate users with articles, case studies, eBooks, and white papers

Users want information. They want to be educated. If the primary goal of your site is to inform, educational content specific to your business is an obvious inclusion, but the same is useful if your goal is sales, and to get a sale you need a user to stick around.

Add value to your site by educating your users and you will not only increase the amount of time they spend on your site, you will also help build brand credibility and activate the law of reciprocity, a powerful marketing principle popularized in the milestone book, The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini.

The law of reciprocity states when you do something for or give something to someone, they are naturally inclined to repay the favor, and marketers have been employing this principle for ages. Give your user something of worth in the form of content and they will take the time to divulge it. Once they are through, they are likely to be more inclined to become a customer, request more information, or at least come back for a second visit. Either way, you win.

4. Keep your content fresh

No matter how useful your content is, it also must be fresh if you want repeat visitors and long-term user engagement. While an impressive white paper or comprehensive how-to guide will gain traction on its own via word-of-mouth draw new visitors to your site, if you want people to keep returning over time, always offer them something new.

Start a company blog and post 2-3 times per week, host a forum where experts can share industry tips and advice, or pull in RSS feeds from authoritative sites and blogs to give users a comprehensive look at the pulse of your industry. As long as your content is dynamic, engaging, entertaining, and/or useful, users will take the time to consume it, spread the word, and return for more.

Hope these tips help you improve the performance of your website. Good luck!

Amanda Moshier is the staff writer and editor at Wpromote, Inc., the #1 search marketing firm in the US as ranked by Inc. 500. For more information on PPC Management, SEO Management, or how to grow your small business online, please visit www.wpromote.com/. You can also connect with us at twitter.com/wpromote.

Labels: brand credibility, call to action, user interface design, website design, wpromote